Alfons Sauquet, the dean of ESADE Business School in Spain, argues that a disconnection between business and science is holding Europe back. And business schools are often part of the problem

THERE is no doubt in my mind that Europe's approach to innovation must change. The region may be blessed with high-quality scientific research, but too much of it fails to make it to the realms of innovation. If this is left unresolved it will blacken Europe's future. We need to learn to bring the science and business communities together efficiently.

Just concentrating on functional training is no longer enough

In this regard, I believe business schools to be key. We must play the role of an entrepreneur in its purest meaning. It is no longer enough that we concentrate on functional training. We must constantly scan for projects to which we can add value. Once found, we must take a more developmental, consulting role, helping the project's different stakeholders—companies, public bodies, research centres and universities—to create and manage the organisation. And we must help design and implement the processes necessary to make European innovation work.

At ESADE, we try to do this in many different ways, by, for example, creating executive-education programmes that bridge the knowledge gap between advanced scientific-research centres on photonics and management and entrepreneurship experts. We have also recently been awarded a leading role in building the most innovative pan-European sustainable-energy project to date.

The European Institute of Technology (a project intended to become Europe's answer to MIT) will provide scientific partners with specific training in entrepreneurship and innovation, and through this we will launch a pre-experience MSc in Innovation, intended to fuel research centres and energy companies with young talent.

We must grasp the somewhat slippery idea of creativity, too

Yet, if we are to take seriously the idea of business schools' roles in promoting innovation management, the frontier between science and business is not the only boundary that should be explored. At the other end of the spectrum lies the somewhat slippery idea of creativity, with its many potential sources. The world of creative design is one such example. Schools can create programmes that help managers to look differently at their practices, using ethnographical methods and tools inspired by design thinking.

Creapolis: What's the bright idea?

If we accept that innovation stems from science and moves towards creativity, we must also acknowledge that we must create environments that promote innovation. Business schools should not be afraid to provide the Petri dishes on which new ideas are spawned. ESADE, for example, has a creativity park, Creapolis, which houses over 50 innovative companies or their innovation cells and encourages them to share ideas, goals and experiences with each other and our students.

Of course business schools must not lose sight of their primary function. We must remain faithful to academic rigour and excellent teaching. Yet at the same time we have to regain the entrepreneurial fervour of the past; the world expects more than good functional graduates. Recent times have underlined the need for managers capable of taking a fresh look at opportunities unafraid to forge new alliances and practices outside of the norm.

This is especially true in Europe. With its excellent research record, Europe should be creating far more added value than it is. Turning this around is a complex task that concerns the whole of society. However, business schools wield too much power to just play it safe.